At a Marine training ground, the scorching sun beat down, baking the earth until it was searing hot.
A soldier, his clothes soaked in sweat, gritted his teeth and focused intently on performing dumbbell curls, training his bulging biceps.
While he was focused on his training, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was Goku.
Goku curiously looked at the oddly shaped object in the soldier's hand and asked in a crisp voice:
"Hey, what is that thing you're holding?"
Startled, the soldier quickly looked down and saw a little guy standing before him.
Although he didn't know why a child was in the middle of a training ground, he didn't think much of it, assuming it was the child of an officer who had snuck out to play.
He stopped his exercise and gave Goku a friendly smile. "This is a dumbbell, kid."
"A dumbbell? So this is a dumbbell."
Goku nodded in realization.
He had heard Krillin mention them before but had never seen one. Now he finally saw the real thing.
"That's right, kid. Why are you here? It's dangerous, not a place for playing."
The soldier put down the dumbbell and patted Goku's head. He then scanned the area, looking for any officer who might be missing their child.
There were many heavy training apparatuses in the field, and many soldiers were working out fervently. He was worried that if Goku ran around, he might get hurt.
Soon, he saw a Major walking toward them at a brisk pace. He felt relieved, assuming this was definitely the boy's father.
'Wait, isn't this father a bit too young?'
He smiled at the approaching Major and then looked down, intending to tell Goku that his father had arrived.
However, the moment he looked down, his smile froze on his face, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
This... this, this, this!!
In his sight, Goku was curiously playing with the dumbbell he had just been using for his workout.
That wasn't the main point. The point was that Goku had actually picked it up!
And he was tossing it back and forth between his hands as if the heavy weight were a light feather!
"Is this a dumbbell? Why is it so light? Didn't Krillin say it could be used for training?"
Goku tossed the dumbbell from one hand to the other and back again. The soldier's eyes darted left and right, following the weight's movement in a comically rhythmic fashion.
"Sorry for disturbing your workout. This is a talented recruit Vice Admiral Garp just brought in. He's a rare genius."
Lansa explained as he reached them.
To spare the soldier's feelings, he deliberately emphasized the word "genius."
After all, anyone would have their pride shattered if they saw the equipment they used for grueling training being tossed around like a toy by a small child.
If the kid was a genius, perhaps it wouldn't hurt quite as much.
Whether the soldier actually processed the words or not, he just nodded blankly.
Seeing this, Lansa turned to Goku. "Goku, that's someone else's training gear. Stop playing with it."
Goku put down the dumbbell and looked at Lansa innocently. "Lansa, are all dumbbells this light?"
Crack!!
Lansa almost heard the sound of the soldier's spirit breaking, so he quickly pulled Goku away.
Once they were out of earshot, he said to Goku, "There are many different weights for dumbbells. That was just an ordinary one, so it's a bit light for you."
"Oh, so that's it! I knew it!"
With that explanation, Goku's eyes lit up. He knew Krillin wouldn't lie to him!
"Then where can I find a heavy one? I want to try!" He looked up at Lansa eagerly.
Lansa thought for a moment and instead asked, "Do you want to see just how strong you are?"
Goku nodded.
Lansa's lips curled into a smirk as he pointed into the distance. "Then let's go over there. We'll need that to test your strength."
...
In a vast open space, several muscular men—their physiques so large they practically burst through their Marine uniforms—were grunting as they pushed massive boulders across the ground with all their might.
"Hragh! Move, damn it!!"
While many were able to move the rocks in front of them, there were also several who couldn't budge them even a single millimeter, despite using every ounce of strength until their faces turned bright red.
"Goku, this is the perfect place to test your power. Lifting dumbbells is just for show; it's much more impressive to be able to move these heavy stones."
Lansa brought Goku over and pointed at the rocks on the field, which ranged from one to three meters in height, teasing him with a smile.
Hearing this, Goku looked over the rocks curiously. After scanning the area, he looked back at Lansa with a hint of disappointment.
"But they all look so small. They aren't even as big as the rocks I used to push."
Lansa, who was about to tell Goku to give it a try, suddenly felt his smile stiffen.
"Small?"
"Wait, you've pushed rocks before?"
Goku nodded and gestured with his hands. "I've pushed rocks this big before. It took me a long time to finally succeed."
Lansa was skeptical, but since Goku had already shown talent far beyond his own, he didn't dismiss him. He simply pointed to the largest, unused rock on the field.
"Then go ahead and try to move that one."
"You got it!"
Goku ran over without hesitation, placed his hands on the rock, and prepared to push with all his strength.
At that moment, several muscular men nearby who were catching their breath noticed him and began to joke around.
"Oh ho, where'd this little squirt come from? Thinking he can move the big stones too?"
"Look at how confident the little guy is! Maybe he actually can move it!"
"Pfft! Are you trying to make me laugh? Tell you what, if this kid can move it even a single millimeter, I'll eat that rock right here!"
They cracked jokes at Goku's expense. Even though they were watching him, none of them actually believed he could move it.
After all, none of them could budge the rock Goku was targeting. If he could move it, what did that make them?
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Goku began to exert his power.
"Hah!!"
Goku's muscles tensed, and his feet dug into the solid ground. With a sudden burst of explosive strength, he shoved the massive, heavy rock a considerable distance forward.
He then clapped his hands and turned around to look at the stunned Lansa, flashing a peace sign. "Look, Lansa! I moved it!"
His innocent voice rang in everyone's ears. The joking Marines' eyes nearly popped out, and their jaws hit the floor.
After a long silence, one of them seemed to remember something. He turned to the companion who had made the bet and pointed toward the rock. "Hey... I think it's time for you to start eating."
—